Wichita eagle., 1887-05-14
SILK CULTURE IN KANSAS.

From the Kansas City Evening Argus.
A new industry for the common and
laboring classes has been set on its feet liz
our neighboring state of Kansas by the
legislative appropriation of $4,000 to
found silk mandatory. The legislature
of that state upon making the appropria-
ton provided for the appointment of a
board of three commissioners to locate and
contract for the erection of the necessary
buildings. The little city of Peabody in
Marion county literally contributed ten
acres of ground as an inducement
for the commissioners to place the
new factory with her, and that loca
ton has been determined upon. The con-
tract has been let, conditioned upon the
completion of the building within forty
days. This establishes the experiment,
and as it no doubt will be a successful one
the business Of silk culture may be said to
be thoroughly inaugurated in that state.
a fortunate circumstance in the decision
of the committee is that they have sue
ceeded in locating the factory very near
the geographical and business center of
the state.
The idea in building this factory is to
furnish facilities for raising the worm and
harvesting its products on a large scale, and
by proper machinery and the most ap-
proved arrangement OF apparatus to utilize
the entire productive season. In our lati
tude this extends over two or three broods
OF worms, which is more than is CON-
monty utilized by producers of the CO.
coon. In many cases one brood being
the limit of any one seasons work. The
appropriation is chiefly due to the long and
patient efforts of Prof. /. Hrner, who has
labored necessarily for number of years
to get the matter before the people, and
work up an interest in the culture and
manufacture of silk.
The project of American silk making
has been long contemplated and on small
scale experimental with by different classes
of people The Mennonites, large colonies
of whom settled In central Kansas, have
for many years raised considerable quaint
ties of cocoons, and demonstrated the
feasibility of producing them on large
scale This class of people have also
proven it to be well calculated to add to
the slender income of the poor as suitable
industry for women, children and those
not calculated for the severer manual en-
Payments. 1t is not we'll suited for gen
eral large investments, but central factory.
sifOrding a market for the hundred thou
sand dollars worth of cocoOns thal may be
raised each season in the state of Kansas
must add just that much to the wealth Of
the state each season. Here q little and
there little, no one drawing any very con-
siderable sum, but the aggregate amount
going among the people for active circula-
lion will prove an immense addition to the
wealth Of the state.
Our people will mark with interest this
silk factory scheme. We have as good a
climate for silk culture, ana country bet
ter prepared and better adapted to the cul-
,ure of silk than Kansas. Any industry
that promises liberal and general distri-
button of money annually among the ag-
ricultural and laboring masses, without
interfering with their present well arranged
features of business, and Offering employ
ment to the women, children and infirm, is
an industry that merits investigation.
These items are leading features in silk
culture